Small screen’s heartthrobs who return on fans’ demands

TV heartthrob Barun Sobti takes a 'break', joining the league of other top stars who've left their shows only to return on fans' demands

Telly stardom doesn't come easy. And actors who are basking in the glory of tellydom have certainly 'earned' it. At the same time, how the brand value of an actor helps a show immensely does not need many citations. Small screen's story is replete with actors who have become popular owing to their appeal and their character justification garnering phenomenal fan following.

Analyse this. Actor Barun Sobti's decision to take a "longish break" from the popular daily Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? has had a ripple effect as fans worldwide have reacted strongly to the actor's absence from the show by making phone calls to the production/channel offices, flooding the mailboxes/micro blogging sites of the producers/channel heads. Barun is not the only actor to have got such a devoted fan following, others like Karan Singh Grover, Shilpa Anand, Smriti Irani and Rati Pandey's departure from their shows created fan uproar resulting in their eventual return to their shows!

The billion rupee question is what makes the fan base so attached to a TV heartthrob in the first place. The brand value of a star depends on the amount of respect the actor earns through his work, plus his screen presence, feel many in the TV industry.

A daily soap lets an actor into the fans' homes five times a week and strikes a more immediate connect. "When your show garners considerable brand value then the fan base becomes important," says producer Sudhir Sharma. According to producer Rajan Shahi, the brand equity of a popular TV actor is due to a show's popularity. "It works both ways. As a show becomes popular, the actors too become popular. At the same time, the actor's popularity adds more value to a show."

Here's a look at some small screen's heartthrobs who've added new twist to their comeback tales.

Who: Barun SobtiCharacter Sketch: Arnav Singh Raizada, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?Role Play: Barely weeks after Barun Sobti slipped into the designer shoes of Arnav Singh Raizada in 2011, he became a TV superstar commanding an enviable fan following and even a Bollywood film. His suave, genial and poster boy good looks have only upped his hot quotient. After Barun announced his 'break' from the show ten days ago, his huge online fan entourage started asking the channel to either end the show on a high note or retain the actor, instead of getting a replacement. The off screen drama continues...

Who: Rati PandeyCharacter Sketch: Nupur, Miley Jab Hum TumRole Play: Rati Pandey's portrayal of Nupur offered new layers to the character, which gave the actress a whole lot of fans. What is noteworthy is the actor's brand recall as a promising actor who delivers value to the role she essays.

Who: Smriti IraniCharacter sketch: Tulsi, Kyun Kii...Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu ThiRole Play: While Amar Upadhyay as Mihir did amass a phenomenal fan following, equally emphatic was Tulsi's character which got its justification from a powerful portrayal of the character by Smriti Irani who became an iconic star to reckon with. After a long stint, Smriti quit the show in 2006 and Gautami Kapoor stepped into her shoes. After some months, Ekta Kapoor had to bow to popular pressure and bring back Smriti as Tulsi to appease fans.

Who: Karan Singh GroverCharacter Sketch: Dr Armaan Mallik, Dill Mill GayyeRole Play: Being part of this cult youth show, telly hottie Karan Singh Grover enjoyed all the glam moments and the tremendous fan base that he had during his stint in the show. The show saw two seasons and some turbulent moments when the actor quit. He made a re-entry in the show after six months thanks to his fans who deluged the production house with mails/calls asking for his return.

Who: Shilpa AnandCharacter Sketch: Riddhima and Shilpa in Dill Mill GayyeRole Play: Shilpa Anand, whose sizzling on screen chemistry with Karan Singh Grover had the audience dreamy eyed quit the show in 2008 leaving her fans heartbroken. After a deluge of fan mails, and two replacements later, Shilpa made a re-entry in the show in 2010 in a different character, paired opposite Karan and successfully created the same screen magic.